Lesson Learned

I want to go back

He smiled grimly. "No, it can't," he replied. "But it can help."

She scoffed softly, shaking her head. Her gaze shifted to the side when she heard more people start to draw closer to the assembly hall. "We need to go or they'll start looking for us." She stood up. "Come on. If you actually want to do this, then you can't be late."

"Will you be okay if I do it?" he asked, standing up. "I know the Principal will be mad."

"Yes, he will be." Mitsuko tried not to think about it. "And if I had any sense I'd rat you out right now." She sighed, looking at him apprehensively. "But then he'd win, and that'd be worse for everyone." A small smile threatened to creep onto her face. "Just promise me you'll rub it in his face. It'll help me get through the aftermath if I know you really hurt him."

A small smile grew on his face, nodding. "I'll try my best."

Her smile twitched, beginning to walk back to the assembly hall where everyone was gathering.

She walked back in with Takebayashi, Gakushuu was waiting backstage, the subtle signs of agitation beginning to show.

"Where have you been?" he asked curtly.

Takebayashi shrugged. "Mitsuko was helping me go over the speech."

Gakushuu's brow furrowed, looking at her suspiciously. "Really?"

She raised an eyebrow. "Yeah, we were." She shrugged. "It wasn't your best work but we made do."

His eye twitched, forcing a polite smile. "How funny." He smiled too widely at Takebayashi. "They're just about ready for you." He took a step to the side and gesture to the stage curtain. "I hope you're ready?"

Takebayashi smiled thinly. "I think so." He gave Mitsuko one last glance before walking over to the curtain.

Mitsuko took a deep breath, staying calm.

Her brother stood by her side, crossing his arms. "What did you do?"

She gave him a side-along glance. "I didn't do anything."

It wasn't a lie.

Gakushuu's eyes narrowed warily, but he looked up at the stage when Takebayashi walked on.

She swallowed dryly, holding her hands too tight.

Please don't get murdered.

"Please, listen to what I have to say," Takebayashi addressed the school. "In Class E, in which I stayed, is a gathering of weak people," he said, with some unsureness. "Because they lack what we call academic strength. They receive discriminatory treatment from everyone in the Main Campus building."

Mitsuko peeked her head forward to look at E Class, feeling her chest tighten when she saw Rio.

"But for me..." Takebayashi shrugged. "That Class E, is almost as comfortable to be in as a maid café."

She gulped, glancing at her brother.

"What is he doing?" Gakushuu hissed, eyes narrowing dangerously.

"I was lying," Takebayashi confessed as her brother grew livider. "Because I wanted to be strong, because I wanted to be accepted...but, even though I was the most useless among Class E, and betrayed them on top of that," he said, smiling slightly. "My classmates still came to see how I was doing many time." His voice grew fond. "Sensei, even for a student like me who had no knack for studying. He tried every method possible and schemed to teach me."

Her brother gritted his teeth. "That little..."

She grabbed his arm when he stepped forward. "Don't."